The Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Limestone. Lyla Amini and Delaney Middlebrook. This lab was formulated in response to the interest in observing the effect of bubbling carbon dioxide through a limestone formation. With the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one suggested method to get rid of excess amounts is to inject and trap it underground, creating an unknown amount of devastation. In light of this phenomenon, an apparatus was created in this lab using a large beaker and a gas bubbler in order to facilitate such an experiment. It was hypothesized and later determined that the overall mass of the limestone rock and sand would be reduced by 34.19 grams when the limestone became aqueous because of the reaction that occurred between carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate (limestone). The pH level of the water was affected with the occurrence of the reaction, with the levels becoming immediately more acidic with the carbon dioxide bubbling through, but then gradually leveling off and time went on. The temperature of the water was related to the pH levels because the molecules of a cooler substance are less likely to leave the container whereas when the substance is warmer, the gas is more likely to spread out and take up more space. In this experiment, that was not observed because as the temperature of the water decreased, the pH increased with no explanation.
Key terms: pH levels, carbon dioxide, calcium carbonate (limestone), temperature
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